Drop everything you’re doing and READ. THIS. BOOK. It is one of my absolute favorites, and it’s inspiring AF. Coehlo essentially shares the secret to life and happiness in this novel, and I’m drawn to it again and again. If you are unsure of your life’s passion, this book will help you find it. I often pick up The Alchemist when I’m needing motivation, and it always has my back.

“…intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where the histories of all people are connected, and we are able to know everything, because it’s all written there” (74).

Alexie is one of my top 3 favorite authors. His language is pure poetry, and he writes with a passion unmatched by many. War Dances is a collection of short stories, poems, and something in between. I am continually blown away by Alexie’s creativity and genius, and I look to him as inspiration for my own continual growth as a writer.

“But there was only the one cockroach, stiff and dead. As he lay on the pavement, I leaned closer to him. His legs were curled under his body. His head was tilted at a sad angle. Sad? Yes, sad. For who is lonelier than the cockroach without his tribe? I laughed at myself. I was feeling empathy for a dead cockroach” (29).

Reading “The War of Art” is what kicked my writing career into gear. I was afraid to begin writing professionally. What if I failed? Pressfield laughed at my ego, the small voice in my head trying to hold me back from my passion. This book’s message is GO FOR IT. You cannot fail at what you love. End of story.

“The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it” (40).

If you gave me a platform and unlimited time to speak about this novel, I would never be finished. It is my favorite book in the world for many reasons, and I don’t pass by a used book store without checking to see if they have a copy I don’t yet own. I love Jane Austen because she was a woman ahead of her time. She wrote about female empowerment, autonomy, love, and happiness during a time when women were to be seen but definitely not heard. The main character in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth, is “a fearsome thing to behold,” and I can only hope to have her amount of boldness and badassery in my own life.

“What are men to rocks and mountains? (152).

This book is written as a letter from father to son about his experience as a Black man in America. In this book, Coates challenges white supremacy, speaks candidly about the injustices Black and brown people in the U.S. have faced throughout history and continue to face today, and does not hold back in expressing his utterly raw emotions about racial inequality and inequity. I think it should be required reading for all high schools in our country, and especially for those who identify as white. It’s a powerful tool that can and is being used to help tear down the systemic oppression and white supremacy on which our country was founded.

“Not being violent enough could cost me my body. Being too violent could cost me by body. We could not get out” (28).

This book is literal magic. For young and old readers alike, it’s a story about identity, inclusion, uniqueness, and unconditional love. I fell in love with these characters who represent all different kinds of people and lifestyles. No matter who you are, you can identify with someone in this book, which is what makes it so incredible. I read it in 2 days, feeling every emotion possible, hardly stopping to eat or sleep. 


“Humanity is so weird. If we’re not laughing, we’re crying or running for our lives because monsters are trying to eat us. And they don’t even have to be real monsters. They could be the ones we make up in our heads. Don’t you think that’s weird?”

This it the trippiest book I’ve ever read, and also the one most full of wisdom. If you are looking to deeper your connection with the universe, or just want some affirmation that the universe has your back, pick up this book. It’s great to turn to time and time again. I often do.

“We are all just walking each other home.”

Hosseini is most famous for “The Kite Runner,” but in my (probably unpopular) opinion, I think this book blew Kite Runner out of the water. His writing flows impeccably and his language is magical. The story is hard to read, as it deals with themes like abuse and rape; however, his portrayal of the struggles that human beings go through is so accurate, and he captures the thoughts and emotions of his characters beautifully. I first read this book in high school, and it stuck with me. Rereading it as an adult was an even better experience.

“Boys, Laila came to see, treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed; its radiance best enjoyed, not beheld directly” (119).

Quite frankly, I think this book should be required reading for everyone in the world. Wiesel’s first hand account of the Holocaust is something that cannot be disputed or reviewed. He was taken to two concentration camps — Auschwitz and Buchenwald — experiencing and coming close to death every single day. He describes his experience, as well as his internal struggle with the concept of God existing in such a cruel world. This book will forever stay in my mind.

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget the smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever” (34).